Biography, Autobiography, Memoir discussion
Biography, Autobiography, and Memoir read in 2017
Mod
1 star
If you are a rabid Trump supporter, just skip this review. Normally, I try to keep politics off of Goodreads but with this book I cant help it.
I liked the first half of the book. It seemed to be a fairly bipartisan look at how Washington is screwing America. Then I got to the chapter about Hillary's emails. I get it that this book was published when Trump first took office. Now almost 9 months later there are things in the book that are obsolete. In light of the events of the past week where several of the president's advisors have been found to send emails related to government emails, the whole chapter is laughable. Then he goes on to say that he hopes that our 'new' president will drain the swamp, as he has already promised to do...ya da ya da ya da. We already know this ain't happenin'. And then....drum roll....he goes on to tell us how Washington can fix this...by cutting such things as the EPA, environmental and wildlife protection agencies...oh the list goes on. Nowhere, may I repeat, NOWHERE is taxing higher income people on the list and of course, he advocates cutting taxes for wealthy businesses. I almost threw this book across the room but it was a library book so I refrained and I only finished it because it was 150 pages and I finished it in a day and wanted to see what else he could come up with. There were some eye-openers in this book, but when it became "un"-bipartisan it lost me.
Koren wrote: "Drain the Swamp: How Washington Corruption is Worse than You Think by Ken Buck1 star
If you are a rabid Trump supporter, just skip this review. Normally, I try to keep politics of..."
Oh dear. It always amazes me that wealthy people complain about having to pay taxes. But when they get into power they feel fit to just waste it on things that don't help those worse off. Which is what I thought taxes were meant to be for.... the last prime minister we had, tried to use tax money to fund a million dollar artistic monument to the state house, instead of building real state houses families could actually live in. He also wasted money on trying to get a referendum to change the NZ flag, just cos he didn't like it. So NZ has had silly politicians in power too. We all feel your pain.
Mod
1 star
If you are a rabid Trump supporter, just skip this review. Normally, I try to ke..."
Selina, in America there are so many tax loopholes that the wealthy pay little to no taxes. Trump himself, after claiming a business loss, paid no taxes for 18 years.
?! Worse than royalty...the Queen of England never paid a cent until recent years. Over there, working people paid tax to support the monarchy's lavish lifestyle.
Mod
Its pretty much the same here. Only we call them politicians.
My Brother Peter: Murder or Suicide?, Nomi Berger5 enthusiastic stars!
I literally could not put this book down until I was finished reading it. A woman who has never really processed her brother's death suddenly decides, decades after the fact, to get the answers to all her lingering questions. By staying constantly on the phone, travelling to the scene of his death, talking to people who were there when he died, any investigators she can find, all of the friends of his from that era she's able to locate, and any number of record-concealing bureaucrats, she finally gets what she came for. Utterly gripping.
Practice to Deceive
Ann Rule
3.5/5 stars
This is the true crime story about the murder of Washington state resident James Stackhouse. Stackhouse was murdered in 2003 during the Christmas holidays outside his home and this is the story of the investigation and the eventual murder trial. Rule writes in detail about the murder and the multiple possible characters involved in the crime which took several years to solve and go to trial. Though the book is complete in regards to the trial, there was (is) still a lingering question about the motive of the defendants and a possibility that another person was involved in the murder. Hard to put down.
Mod
Practice to Deceive
Ann Rule
3.5/5 stars
This is the true crime story about the murder of Washington state resident James Stac..."
Love Ann Rule. Sure miss her books. Her books used to come out right before Christmas so that was always on my list.
The Spider and the Fly: A Reporter, a Serial Killer, and the Meaning of Murder, Claudia Rowe4 stars
A good, if sometimes unsatisfying read about the reporter who developed a pen-pal relationship with serial killer Kendall Francois. This book told me much more than Fred Rosen's book about the same guy, but I gritted my teeth more than once because the author never simply told us what she saw in the police reports, the crime-scene photos, or even Kendall's letters to her. She made the book rather too much about her, and even said as much by the end -- she couldn't make sense of all the information about him, so she sat on it for 11 years and then just kind of gave up and made the book about her own issues. This was really odd because she seemed to have great insight into the crimes when she applied herself to it. With all that said, this was a page-turner, unusually well written and full of information new to me.
Mod
5 stars
I love this guy! I love 60's folk music. I had been looking for a complete bio on Lightfoot. So when I saw this book was coming out I pre-ordered a copy. I was not disappointed. Was he a perfect person? No. He had his faults. But his music is so honest and open. Be warned, at least half the book is about his music, so if you are not familiar with him you may find the book a little boring, but I enjoyed reading how my favorite songs came about.
When Good Kids Kill, Michael Kelleher3 stars
This was an interesting collection of killer-kids cases, ranging from friends who kill friends to school shootings, cult murders and home again. The author gives a very superficial analysis of each case followed by head-slappingly obvious advice to prevent future violence: parents should set a good example, be there for them, etc. He completely ignores the oft-stated fact in his own text that nearly every kid in the book had all that going for him, or her, and went ahead and killed someone anyway. The biographies in here were almost identical: well-liked, straight-A student, former altar boy, parents were pillars of the community UNTIL HE KILLED THEM WITH A BASEBALL BAT. He would have done better to admit the limitations on the information obtainable to him from the newpapers in a juvenile criminal case. His uncritical statement to the effect that the Robin Hood Hills murders were committed by a Satanic cult under the command of Damien Echols were more than enough proof for me that he didn't dig past the surface at all. He tried hard to sound scholarly and analytical but couldn't even manage subject-verb agreement in here. With all that said, these were some fascinating cases that I hope will lead me to further reading.
Mod
2 stars
This was published in 2012, so nothing here on his presidential bid. Now that would have been interesting. This guy paints a rosy picture of family life and goes on and on and on about his campaigns in Florida. Not much here about his actual job in the Senate, but a minute by minute account (almost) about the campaigns. I would just skip this. Maybe in the future he will come out with a book about his term in the senate and his presidential bid
The People's Gardener by Jim ButtressI had never ever heard of this guy but I'm into gardening and thought it looked interesting, and it was kind of. Anyone not into gardening would think it really boring about someone who keeps banging on about himself, his career and how lucky he is.
It's an autobiography of a well known in the UK gardener who judges Britain in Bloom competitions, does garden talks and hosts Allotment Challenge TV program. He also was in charge of the royal parks, so gardened for the Queen and the Queen Mother.
The subtitle of the book is 'A marvellous life from the Royal Parks to the RHS to Britain in Bloom'. There aren't any pictures of plants, just pictures of this guy with the famous people he's known. So yea. He was awarded a Queens medal so, I suppose that's worth blowing your own trumpet a bit. Although I think it was blown a bit too much.
Koren wrote: "An American Son: A Memoir by Marco Rubio2 stars
This was published in 2012, so nothing here on his presidential bid. Now that would have been interesting. This guy paints a rosy p..."
He should have waited to write his autobio. Now is the time to cover his election fiasco.
The World's Greatest Crimes of Passion, Tim Healey4 solid stars
I didn't expect to like this book nearly as much as I did. It's packed with juicy little stories of crimes passionels, each one well if briefly told -- most of them murders, but not all. The main thing this book is lacking is a bibliography to lead you to further reading, because did I ever want to know more about some of these cases! This is a real page-turner, well worth your time.
Mod
3 stars
Not sure if this could be considered a memoir. It seems a bit far fetched at times. If you know Samantha Bee, she talks really fast and that's the way this book it written. I seldom think humor transfers well to the written word. In this case, I would have preferred an audio book, but it did make me smile at times.
Mod
5 stars
This book was so sad, and yet so inspirational. It is the story of a 13-year-old girl who is killed in a skiing accident and her parents donate her organs. As told by her parents, it is tough to read at times, but well worth it.
The Pride of the Yankees: Lou Gehrig, Gary Cooper, and the Making of a Classic
Richard Sandomir
3.5/5 stars
When I was young, I fell in love with black and white films, mostly James Cagney films and The Thin Man series which led me into other films from the 30's and 40's including The Pride of the Yankees. When I found this book, I was excited to read about the making of the film. Who didn't cry at the end of this film when Gehrig/Cooper says his memorable line - "I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth." Sandomir does a nice job relating what is known about Gehrig and his death- unfortunately there is a lot of gaps in the story. No complete footage of the famous line was ever found if even recorded. There are even gaps in the story of the making of the film but still it was an interesting book about Gehrig, his relationships with his wife and mother and the making of the film and Sam Goldwyn’s involvement in getting the film produced. Definitely a book for film fans.
The Hot House: Life Inside Leavenworth Prison, Pete Earley4 stars
A lot of books hint around about prison culture and what it's like to be incarcerated long-term; this book shows you what really goes on in one of the toughest prisons in North America. The author does a great job of explaining how it works for the prisoners, how it works for the men and women keeping them locked up in there, and does a good job of sketching the bottomless gulf in between. I was also gratified to find that the whole first chapter was an update on one of our local boogeymen, Ronald Bailey ("Jeffrey Hicks"), a little creep parents in this area still mutter about nervously. Not an uplifting read, but a very enlightening one. I feel like I largely understand now how it works -- as told by the people involved.
Mod
4 stars
I've been watching the old Family Affair reruns and I just love this show. So when I saw there was a autobio from Kathy Garver, who played Cissy I couldn't wait to read it. Well, she seems just as sweet and likable as she is on the show. However, this book is more like "look who I know". She lists her accomplishments, who she worked with on the show, and in the case of Family Affair, she lists the main actors individually and gives us almost a mini biography on each person. If you remember this show fondly you may like this book. I would recommend skipping it if you have never heard of it.
Koren wrote: "Surviving Cissy: My Family Affair of Life in Hollywood by Kathy Garver 4 stars
I've been watching the old Family Affair reruns and I just love this show. So when I saw there was a..."
I put this on my list and my husband even wants to read this- glad to hear a good review of it.
Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold Story of the Black Women Mathematicians Who Helped Win the Space Race
Margot Lee Shetterly
4/5 stars
This is the wonderful untold true story of the 4 African-American women mathematicians who broke barriers by working as human computers at Langley Memorial Aeronautical Laboratory in Hampton, Virginia. Starting with a shortage of staff to help during WWII at the lab, these smart, college educated women proved that they were reliable and as smart as the other women and men at Langley. Shetterly discusses the time period and the racial tensions going on in that era, all in the context around what was going on at Langley with the building and designing of aircraft for WWII and including their part in the space race. This book really fleshes out the story of these women and the lengths they and their families had to go to work in those industries and the sacrifices that they had to make to have a better life.
Julie wrote: "[book:Hidden Figures: The American Dream and the Untold ..."
Should I assume you also saw the movie? How do they compare?
Fishface wrote: "Julie wrote: "[book:Hidden Figures: The American Dream a..."
Yes, I have seen the movie and I loved the movie but of course the book is more detailed. The movie is centered around the race to space but the book starts with the contribution of the women computers working computations before WWII at NACA which later turned into NASA. After the attack on Pearl Harbor, NACA began hiring African-American women with college degrees and the book goes into depth about their roles. What stood out for me was that a lot of these women left their families behind so they could make money to support them-leaving grandparents or husbands to raise them since they could not live nearby. Yet these women were so supportive of each other and really instilled in their children of their worth and encouraged them to do well in school despite the racial prejudices facing them.
OK, that makes me want to read it more than ever...
Mod
Yes, you should read it.
House of Horrors: The Shocking True Story of Anthony Sowell, The Cleveland Strangler, Robert Sberna4 stars
This one combines the biography of the serial killer with those of the women who got away from him alive -- as well as the stories of those who didn't. This book made me so heartsick that I had to take a break from reading it for a while before I could finish. I learned more about the victims, more about their relationships to each other, and above all more about the timeline of events, filling in gaps I didn't know existed after reading Nobody's Women: The Crimes and Victims of Anthony Sowell, the Cleveland Serial Killer. The author was able to get farther into the nooks and crannies of the story than I dared to hope. Both the books I've read on this case are more than worth your time, and I don't think you can have a good sense of the story without both. So many serial-murder cases involve finer-pointing at the police, saying they didn't take the victims seriously; this book shows you exactly why they felt this way. I came away even angrier at the plight of the surviving victims than I was already for the women whose problems are now over.
Mod
5 stars
If you like medical memoirs this one is one of the best. The author became a heart surgeon when that was rare for a woman but that is not the main focus of the book. The cases she works on are interesting but she focuses more on the human aspect than the medical aspect. You can feel how much she loves her job and cares about her patients. I love her sense of humor when she is talking about some stressful situations. I would have liked her to talk more about how insurance companies make her job more difficult. Towards the end she talks about balancing work and family in a two doctor household. Half way through this book I was looking to see if this author had more books. (She doesn't). Heads up that my book had a different title. Its Was Healing Hearts: A memoir of a Female Heart Surgeon. It looks like the hard cover and the paperback has different titles.
The Treatment: The Story of Those Who Died in the Cincinnati Radiation Tests, Martha Stephens3 stars
This book -- half memoir, half history -- not only takes you back to your old, half-forgotten Cold War paranoia; it takes it to a whole new level. This is the story of something the Pentagon was doing behind our backs. That something combined the worst features of Nagasaki with Dr. Mengele's science lab, and they did it right here in the U.S. of A. With all that said, this was a frustrating, unsatisfying read. The author really only hints at what she found out about this case over the years. She likes to summarize, not really draw us a picture of what went on. I don't know how many of these experiments were going on, how many died, how many survived and how many of the wrongdoers were called on the carpet for what they did. On top of that, Martha Stephens is one of those people who never writes "Gaffney's doubts" when she can use "the doubts of Gaffney" instead, cramming as many words as she can into every sentence. I would have expected an English professor to know better than to write an entire book in the passive voice. I wonder how much shorter and more accessible it would have been if she had handled it differently. The really affecting part of this book was reading the testimony of the survivors -- and that was too little too late. I give this one 3 stars because the story is so important, not because of the way the author presented it.
Hidden Brutality: Life of Serial Killer Carl Eugene Watts, Jack Smith3 stars
Finally, another book on my old nemesis, Coral Eugene Watts. This was a very quick read but it included details I've never seen before about the murders he may (or may not) have committed. I have serious reservations about this one because there were quite a few obvious mistakes, e.g. when he said that 'George Harrison' was the mass murderer who opened fire on the customers at 'Lucy's Cafeteria' -- dude, it was George Hennard at Luby's Cafeteria -- and that tends to throw doubt on everything else he said. There were other clear mistakes in his biography of Watts. But if other details he provided turn out to be correct, I can come away from this read with a little more insight into why the police might consider Watts a suspect in certain other killings. I also learned more about the joint police investigation into these cases, and that information was serious food for thought. I recommend this one.
not the real killer
Mod
3 stars
Finally, another book on my old nemesis, Coral Eugene Watts. This was a very quick read but it include..."
I can see how he made the Harrison mistake. That does look like George Harrison.
Koren wrote: "Fishface wrote: "Hidden Brutality: Life of Serial Killer Carl Eugene Watts, Jack Smith3 stars
Finally, another book on my old nemesis, Coral Eugene Watts. This was a very quick re..."
Koren, that's a photo of George Harrison! I don't think the resemblance is there unless you count hair color:
George Hennard
George Harrison
Fishface wrote: "Koren wrote: "Fishface wrote: "Hidden Brutality: Life of Serial Killer Carl Eugene Watts, Jack Smith3 stars
Finally, another book on my old nemesis, Coral Eugene Watts. This was a..."
He definitely does not look like Harrison but he looks more like a young George Clooney. IMO.
I'm trying to think who he reminds me of. I do see some Clooney going on there, but someone else is on the tip of my brain.
Mod
Now I'm really confused.
Lawrence Olivier. George Hennard looks like Lawrence Olivier, if Larry were, you know, totally blue collar. I added them to "Separated At Birth?" so you can see their photos side by side.
Young George Clooney!
Mod
5 stars
A city girl meets a country guy and they build a life together on a farm. The guy wants to grow organic vegetables and meat and people pay a set price to have the food delivered to their homes. Whatever the farm produces is divided between the people that bought shares. If the farm does well the people get more and if it is a bad year they get less. Interesting concept and it is a learn as they go project. I liked the community spirit of helping and sharing. I grew to love the characters and even the animals and didn't want this book to end.
Innocent Victims, Brian Karem5 solid stars!
If you want to really get the full effect of this atrocious story, open it and start reading WITHOUT looking at the jacket copy or the photo section. They were clearly designed to spoil the story for readers -- and is this one ever full of twists and turns! It's an infuriating true crime case/biographical work that made me want to tear the whole criminal-justice system right down to the ankles so someone can rebuild it from scratch. The screw-ups in the system managed to almost blot out the terrible, terrible crimes under discussion. The author never descended into trying to interpret this head-scratcher of a story for you. There was no shoot-from-the-hip psychoanalysis going on, for instance -- he tells you what everyone saw and lets you make up your own mind. There's a whole lot of room for debate left after the story ends. If it has ended. I came away with the feeling that there were even more disasters in store after the last page. I can't recommend this one too highly.
No Compromise The life story of Keith Green by Melody GreenA memoir of Keith Green, christian singer/songwriter written by his wife Melody. I didn't know too much about Keith only that he penned some songs that are well loved in church. He died tragically young at age 28 in a plane crash with two of his children, leaving behind his pregnant wife and daughter. I really enjoyed reading this memoir about these hippies (this was the 60's, everyone in California was into LSD and dope it seems) who were seeking and found Jesus. Keith was a talented musician who was on the verge of making it big in Hollywood but when he came to the Lord he gave up his worldly dreams to pursue a ministry to encourage new believers. He only had 7 years of his born again life but packed a lot in those years. He was known for 'no compromise' and somewhat intense faith that was a bit controversial for lukewarm christians. An encouraging book that shares a lot of this man and his struggles on how to live out his calling.
Ghosts of the Tsunami: Death and Life in Japan’s Disaster Zone, Richard Lloyd Parry5 stars
Having opened this book, I simply could not stop reading until the last page. The author returned again and again to Miyagi Prefecture over the course of at least 5 years to learn about developments, and record how they were experienced by a number of different people who survived the 2011 tsunami. The author does not focus on the emotional devastation of the people left behind after 22,062 people died -- he is after all a Brit writing about the Japanese, so our informants have some of the stiffest upper lips anywhere in the world -- but he does try to give an idea of the scope of the disaster, never leaning too heavily on facts and figures but simply letting people tell their stories, always reminding us that the full impact is unbearable and probably, literally, unthinkable. He even gives us the POV of several unquiet ghosts, in an attempt to give us really complete coverage. I'm not sure it's possible to really write the book he set out to write, and Parry seems to agree with that, but this was a valiant effort.
Mod
4 stars
For those that followed the United States elections a year ago, you will remember the author's speech at the Democratic convention, when he spoke of his soldier son's death in Iraq and challenged Donald Trump to read the Constitution. This is his story of coming to America and becoming a citizen. It is inspirational and heartwarming and the only disappointment is that he barely mentioned the convention, which only took a couple of pages.
Koren wrote: "An American Family: A Memoir of Hope and Sacrifice by Khizr Khan4 stars
For those that followed the United States elections a year ago, you will remember the author's speech at th..."
He was probably afraid of getting deported to Mexico if he said too much!
Mod
4 stars
For those that followed the United States elections a year ago, you will remember the author'..."
Cant deport him. He is a legal citizen. Took the naturalization test. Which raises the question- why don't they just take the test and become citizens? Especially these 'Dreamers', the ones that have been here since they were children and know no other home.
Koren wrote: "Fishface wrote: "Koren wrote: "An American Family: A Memoir of Hope and Sacrifice by Khizr Khan4 stars
For those that followed the United States elections a year ago, you will rem..."
Being a legal citizen didn't protect Barack Obama -- long may he wave -- from being denounced as a foreigner and a certain party calling for him to be kicked right out of the country.
Mod
4 stars
For those that followed the United States elections a year ago..."
Well, what do you expect from people that don't even know Hawaii is part of the United States.
What I don't expect is for people like that to be in charge of anything.
Cold Storage, Don Lasseter4 enthusiastic stars
Don Lasseter really outdid himself with this one. He collected a staggering amount of information from who-knows-how-many primary sources and put it all together into a very readable, well-organized TC book that never gets confusing, repetitive or wild-eyed. For instance, he doesn't make the elementary mistake of telling you everything about the crime, then making you read all the same details for a second time during the trial. He never indulges in shoot-from-the-hip psychoanalysis and never tries to tell the reader what to believe about the evidence. This is also (I hope) a very unusual case worthy of the reader's attention. I highly recommend this one for anyone who loves biography or true crime.
Biography, Autobiography, Memoir
Books mentioned in this topic
The Short and Tragic Life of Robert Peace: A Brilliant Young Man Who Left Newark for the Ivy League (other topics)Gladys Aylward: The Little Woman (other topics)
Gladys Aylward: The Adventure of a Lifetime (other topics)
Stolen Lives: The Untold Stories of the Lawson Quins (other topics)
Now, Let Me Tell You What I Really Think (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Kate Summerscale (other topics)Laura Ingalls Wilder (other topics)
Laura Ingalls Wilder (other topics)
Margot Lee Shetterly (other topics)
Richard Sandomir (other topics)
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5 unlikely stars
When you look at her list of titles on Amazon, Kathryn Harrison appears to write one memoir after another. In this one, she intertwangles her own family issues with those of Billy Gilley, who killed his parents and little sister with a baseball bat in 1984, and Jody Gilley, who was spared the same fate because her brother Billy seems to have been in love with her. The author got to know both of them and really goes deeply into how their disastrous family lives affected them (VERY differently) and how they've changed in the 20+ years since (profoundly). The only flaw in this book, and it's not a big one, is the way the author seems to think what these two young people went through is somehow all about her. She only seems to have wanted to know about this story because it seems to reflect on her, and at times she tries to put an equals sign between her life experiences and theirs, when they could not be more different. It can't be very often that this kind of self-absorbed missing of the point results in such a beautiful, thought-provoking book; the only other one I can think of is the Shirley Jackson's The Haunting of Hill House.